Keyboard for typewriting machines



July 24, 1928. 1,678,334

o. FISCHER KEYBOARD FOR TYPEWRITING MACHINES o'ri i al F il d Jan. 25, 1924 a Sheets-Sheet 1 lg. I

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Q. FISCHER KEYBOHD FOR TYPEWRITING MACHINES Original F1166 Jan. 25, 1924. :5 Sheets-$haet 172 Z7671 for July 24, 1928. 1,678,334

. O. FISCHER 4 KEYBOARD FOB TYIEWRITING MACHINES Original Filed Jan. 25, 1924 a Sheats-5heet 5 WWI/ 11 QM Q L '01 M fia/ Patented July 24, 1928.

UNITED STATES OSKAR FISCHER, OF BERLIN-FRIEDENAU,

GERMANY, ASSIGNOIRTO N. V. MACHINA MAATSCHAPPIJ' VOR HANDEL EN INDUSTRIE, OF AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS, A

CORPORATION OF THE NETHERLANDS.

KEYBOARD FOR TYPEWRITING MACHINES.

Original application filed January 25, 1924, Serial No. 688,399, and in Germany.Novcmber L, 1918. Divided and this application filed April 10, 1925. Serial No. 22,060.

My invention relates to improvements in keyboards for typewriting machines, and the object of the improvements is to provide a keyboard in which the keys are arranged relatively to one another so as to facilitate blind writing and writing with all the fingers of each hand. Another ob ect of the improvements is to provide a key board in which the keys may be readily removed from the key levers. \Vith these objects In view my invention consists in the matters to be described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

For the purpose of explaining the invention an example embodying the same has been shown in the accompanying drawings in which the same reference charactershave been used in all the views to indicate corre sponding parts. In said drawings,

Fig. 1, is an elevation of the keyboard,

Fig. 2, is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3, is a horizontal section taken on the'linev 3-3 of Fig. 2 and showing the key board and a machine,

Fig. 4, is a detail view showing one of the space keys and the mechanism connected therewith,

Fig. 5, is a detail view showing a part of a key lever and the means for securing a key thereto,

Fig. 6, is a top plan view of Fig. 5, and

Fig. 7, is an end view looking from the left in Fig. 5. I

In describing the invention it will be assumed that the keyboard is a part of the typewriting machine shown and described in my copending application for patent Ser. No. 688,399, filed January 25, 1924, now Patent 1,553,765, dated September 15th, 1925, of which the present application is a division, and I shall make particular reference only to the keyboard proper, the mechanism operated by the key levers being described in a general way. But I wish it to be understood that my invention is not limited to the use of the keyboard in the said machine.-

50 i As shown. in the drawings the key board comprises type keys 1 to 5, 11 to 15, and 21 to 25, spacing keys 7, shift keys 8 and 9, and

part of the mechanism of the tabulation keys 10. The keys 1-5, 11-15, 2l25, 7, 8 and 9 are removably secured to the key levers 1G, 17, 18 and 19. As appears from Figs. 5 to 7 the keys are provided at their bottoms with slots by means of which they are fitted on the flat ends of the key'levers. The front ends of the levers are formed with laterally projecting tongues 26 provided by indentations of the levers. At the rear of the keys the levers carry tongues 27 providing stops for the keys when pushing the same on the levers.

The type keys 1-5, 1115, 21-25 are arranged, as best seen in the plan view, Fig. 3, intwo groups, symmetrically on oppositesides of the machine, and between the two groups of type keys, the shift keys 8 and 9, the tabulation keys l0, and the supplement-ary keys 28 are arranged.

For facilitating blind writing and Writing with all the fingers of each hand, the type keys are disposed in several transverse rows one behind the other, and the keys of each row are not disposed-along straight lines but they are displaced with relation to each other according to the relative lengths of the fingers, so that in the normal or natural positions of the hands each finger directly bears on its key. The keys of the front or lowermost set are the following: The keys 1 designed for actuation by the thumbs of the right and left hands, the keys 2 for the forefingers, the keys 3 for the middle fingers, the keys 4 for the ring fingers, and the keys 5 for the little fingers. The keys of the next sets are likewise disposed along curved lines,

and the corresponding keys have received the characters 11, 12, 13, let, 15 and 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 but the set of keys 11 to 15 are elevated relatively to the keys 1 to 5, and the keys 21 to 25 are elevated relatively to the keys 11 to 15. The space keys 7 are disposed lower than the first set of keys 1 to 5. Therefore, when the fingers rest for example on the lower set of keys the thumbs feel the front faces of the keys 11 and the forefingers feel the sides of the said keys, which indicates that the fingers are in the correct positions. In the same way the ring fingers feel the side faces of the keys 15 of the next set. The space keys 7 and the shift keys 8 and 9 are sodisposed as to permit operation without displacing the hands from the normal positions, by slightly moving the thumbs to the right or left.

The keys which make up the double suc- *cession of three rows, 1-5, 11-15, 21-25,

.board by touch alone, the arrangement is such that each of three corresponding particular keys within the three rows, that is to i say, keys 1, 11, 21, keys 2, 12, 22, etc, are

within normal reach of a finger of the user by movement of the finger muscles only, the hand remaining at rest, or substantially at rest. This arrangement in grouping places the whole alphabet under easy and certain reach of the ten finger tips of the user. a

By thus disposing the type keys a free field is left at the median rear part of the key board, which field is made use of for disposing the tabulation keys 10.

- Further, between the second and third sets of type keys a space is left for four other keys 28.

The mechanisms controlled by the keys have been shown and described in my aforesaid original application, and I deem it necessary only to refer to the said mechanisms in a general way.

In the example shown in the figures the typewriting machine comprises a type cylinder mounted on a plate 31 rockingly mounted at 32 for'throwing the type cylinder against the platen33. The Spindle 34 of the type cylinder is adapted to be shifted in axial direction for bringing any of the circumferential rows of types into position for printing and it is adapted to be turned about its axis for setting either one of the types of each row in printing position. Throwin movement is imparted to the type cylinder y means of' an electromagnet 35 secured to the bottom face of the plate 37 andits armature 38 connected with the plate 31 by a link 39. Rotary movement is 1mparted to the type cylinder by means of an electromagnet 36 and its armature 40 through the intermediary of mechanism described in detail in my said original application. Axial or shifting movement is imparted to the type cylinder by means of a rocker 41 through the intermediary of a rod 42 acting on the bottom end of the spindle 34. The tabulation mechanism comprises vertically shiftable bars 53 adapted to be elevated into position for engagement with .dogs 54 placed on a rail 55 of the paper carriage 56.

The type key levers 16 and 17 are mounted in bearing members 44 secured to the bottom plate 37. The said key levers are adapted to close the electric circuit of the electromagnet 36, and they carry rockers 45 adapted to rock frames 46 or 47 controllingthe cir cuit-make-and-break device .48 of the said signature.

circuit. The shift keys 8 and 9 are provided on shift key levers 19 mounted in bearing members 50 rising from the bottom plate 37,

"and the said levers are connected with the rocker 41 by links 51 in pin and slot engagement with the said rocker. The tabulation keys 10 are secured to key levers 52- it mounted in eyes 58 secured to a plate 59,.

and the said levers engage the bars53 at the bottom ends thereof. The space key levers 18 act through rockers 60 and a link 61 on a frame 62 carrying the armature 40, which frame is adapted to operate the letter spacing reference is made to the said original application, and I deem it not necessary to repeat the detailed. description since my present application relates only to the keyboard and the construction of the keys, which parts may be provided in a typewriting machine of any known or new type.

' I claim:

. 1. In' a keyboard for a typewriting machine a grouping of fifteen keys in three groups of five keys each, the keys-within each group being situated in a common plane and displaced from straight-line succession according to the natural positions of the finger tips of a user, the three groups being arranged at successively higher levels from front to rear, the sides of outer keys of the second and the third rows extending adjacent inner keys of the first and second rows, and each three corresponding particular keys within the three rows lying within normal reach of a finger of the operator while the hand remains substantially at rest.

2. A keyboard for typewriting machines, comprising two groups of keys symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of the machine, eaeh group comprising a plurality of transverse rows of keys arranged row behind row and at rearwardly increasing heights,

the keys within each row lying in a single horizontal plane but displaced from straightline succession with relation to each other, according to the relative position of the finger tips, and the outer keys of one row being disposed laterally of keys of the next row,

in vertical plane and provided with a laterally projecting spring tongue, and a slotted key placed with its slot extending vertically and straddling the vertically-extending body of the key lever and engaged bysaid tongue. In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my QSKAR FISCHER. 

